A/N – I know this story was marked as complete but a review by diana-of-wales, asking for another chapter from Magnum's point of view, set this up in my head and I had to write it down. A review from NZNaturalKiwi also suggested another chapter with him finding the pictures on Higgins's phone and his reaction to them. That's simmering, so there may be a chapter 3 at some point!

~,~,~,~,~

Chapter 2

~,~,~,~,~

Magnum stood on the beach and stared at the horizon. He waited for the peace and calm that usually came to him when staring out at the vastness of the ocean. When it didn't come, he cursed softly under his breath. Had she stolen this from him too? It had been three days. Three days since he'd brought her father and her body home. The flight was a nightmare that he couldn't seem to wake up from. How could he still love her after everything she'd done? Not only to him, but to his best friends. No matter the reasons as to why.

He stood statue still, the feeling odd. Ever since he could remember, he hated being still. Even when they'd thrown him in solitary, he'd always managed to move about unless whatever his injuries at the time wouldn't allow it. Not the best trait for a private investigator but he'd found ways around it when he was stuck on stakeouts. Now, he felt so drained he wasn't sure he could move if he wanted to. He knew his friends were worried about him, that they'd seen through the careful façade he'd erected back in Myanmar. That they'd seen the smiles didn't reach his eyes, that the jokes fell flat.

One of them was watching him from the shadows of the trees right now. A quick smile lit up his face, but it didn't last long. He pondered the enigma that was Juliet Higgins. Ex MI6, tough as nails, could take down a man twice her size without breaking a sweat, but a good person and a better friend under the surface. She was honest, almost to the point of brutality, and he liked that about her. There weren't many people who would have joined the three veterans for a quick jaunt onto foreign soil to exchange a wanted, and wounded, Korean counterfeiter for the father of the woman who'd sent him, Rick, Nuzo and T.C. to that hell hole in Afghanistan. Who'd shot him trying to get the gold to purchase her father's release. Who'd lied and betrayed everyone more times than he could count. But, gone she had, without a second thought.

He wondered if she knew that he was aware of her. He knew she didn't think much of his skills, but he was every bit as observant as he continuously boasted to her, mainly just to wind her up. When she'd told him to close his eyes on the T.R. Belle after they'd been rescued from the yacht jacking, he'd known what she was up to. He'd closed them and then asked her how he could possibly remember what was on the table next to her, picturing the smug look on her face when he'd said it. He'd also pictured the mild shock that replaced it when he told her exactly what was there, right down to where the bookmark was. At the moment, he could sense her at his back, and he felt her concern for him almost as if she'd spoken it aloud. How did he end up with such good friends?

His thoughts turned to Katsumoto. He hadn't heard a word from the man since he'd stormed out of the hangar after their return. He knew the detective was angry at him, felt betrayed. It mattered to him, but he knew he'd do it all over again. A good man was home, a counterfeiter was in custody and Hannah? Well, he wished it hadn't turned out the way it had but there was nothing he could do about it now. She'd brought it all on herself. If she'd asked them for help, they all would have given it in a minute, even if it had meant court martial. He still couldn't fathom why she thought being a Taliban prisoner of war was better then being in a military prison. At least then, they would have known why. At least then, it would have been their choice.

He'd known it was over between them, that he could never have trusted her again. Even after he finally got the explanation he'd been after for over three years. He also knew if he'd even thought about taking her back, he'd have lost his brothers and that was not something he was willing to consider. The detective had been upset that they'd gone behind his back, going to Myanmar alone. He'd never had the chance to tell him that they hadn't, in fact, been alone. MI6 and the Navy had been read in and had been watching over them. When the fighting broke out, they were just that much too far away to make it on scene before it was over, it was that quick.

He'd watched as Hannah took the bullet for him. Had run to her side as she lay dying in the dirt, all thoughts of betrayal gone, consumed by grief. He'd held her in his arms, and she'd betrayed him one last time. Her last words of "I'm so sorry." weren't the ones he'd wanted to hear. He'd wanted to hear her honestly say that she loved him. When she hadn't, he felt the last vestiges of hope that she'd ever loved him, burn away. He'd only been a means to an end. The heaviness weighed him down as the sky did its best to cheer him up, turning a riot of beautiful colors as the sun set.

When he heard the pounding of paws behind him, he waited for the normal fight or flight reaction he experienced when the dogs headed for him. That, too, was lacking. He was aware they really wouldn't attack him without a direct command from Higgins, something he never told her he'd realized, as he watched the dogs obey her commands time and time again. Still, he knew she enjoyed watching him run from them, yelling for her to do something. The pounding slowed and he waited for what they would do, only slightly curious. When Zeus sat quietly to his left and Apollo took up position on his right, he found he wasn't all that surprised and felt something loosen in his chest. He continued to watch the sunset for a few minutes and then slowly did something he hadn't dared to before. He reached out a hand to both, waiting for one or both to snap at it. When they didn't, he placed a hand on each head and gently rubbed. Neither made a sound. Together he and 'the lads' as Juliet called them, watched the sun sink below the horizon and the light wink out.

He stood there for a while longer and then knew it was time to head in. He needed to get past this, get on with his life. That chapter was over, dead and about to be buried. He'd contemplated going to her funeral, but it was in her home town back on the mainland and he'd finally decided he'd had all the closure he wanted. He knew his friends would have tried to talk him out of it and then gone with him if they hadn't been able to. He thought they were grateful not to have had to deal with that. He'd seen the looks on their faces when he'd told them where and when it was, after Mac had let him know. Rick had tensed up and he's almost seen him marshaling all his arguments against it, the thoughts chasing themselves over his face. When no suggestions of attending had been forthcoming, his friend had almost seemed to deflate right in front of his eyes.

He had a feeling he wouldn't be welcome, anyway. He and Hannah's father had barely exchanged ten words on the flight home. Somehow, the man seemed to blame him for his daughter's death. He hadn't told the man anything about his only child's actions, figuring it would only add to his despair. The man had been debriefed by the CIA and released. He'd then made arrangements for her body to be sent home, to be buried next to her mother. If the CIA had told him about her extracurricular activities, he wasn't aware of it. They'd debriefed all of them as well, but as the event had basically been sanctioned by agencies in two countries, it hadn't been all that long or grueling.

He turned to head back in, and the dogs trotted along behind him as if not wanting to let him out of their sights. He wondered if tomorrow, things would be back to normal between them. He was pretty sure the answer was yes. He smiled slightly and this time it stayed on his face. He moved past the spot he knew Juliet was standing, sensing her move further back into the shadows. As he walked past her spot, he thought of allowing her the conceit of thinking he didn't know she was there, but he felt the need to say something. To let her know he appreciated both the concern she projected and the space she'd allowed him.

Softly, not making a big deal of it, not stopping to talk, he merely said as he continued on his way. "Thank you, Juliet."

~,~,~,~,~